Ever seen the powerful movie “Erin Brokovich” starring Julia Roberts from a decade ago? It was about the HUGE legal case she helped families win in Hinkley, California, in 1996 regarding a wide range of illnesses brought on by Hexavalent Chromium (also called Chromium-6). The movie shows how countless families in Hinkley became very ill, and many died, due to a contamination of tap water with the carcinogenic chemical. The Chromium-6 was dumped into unlined ponds in and around Hinkley by the company PG&E. A $333 million settlement was reached between PG&E and the families who filed the landmark case. Nearly 15 years later, can you guess what chemical has been found in 89% of the tap water sampled in US cities in a recent Environmental Working Group study? You guessed it – Chromium-6!
If you’ve followed my blog here for very long, you know that I am very focused on the state of our environment and what certain toxins are doing to us as a society; with intent focus on what kind of harm these toxins have on our subpopulation of children and young adults with Autism Spectrum Disorders. So, when I heard about this new study, I knew that I needed to share the information here. Let me explain further…
According to the EWG, “Chronic exposure to hexavalent chromium in tap water is likely to raise everyone’s risk of cancer, but the young and the medically impairedmay be especially vulnerable.” Because our kids with ASD are both youngand medically impaired, in my opinion, they are doubly at risk to the debilitating effects of Chromium-6 and general toxic overload. Our children with ASD are typically unable to effectively process toxins out of their systems as well as the general population, so it is our duty to pay special attention to the chemicals to which they are exposed.